Process for generating from air and hydrogen either nitrogen and hydrogen mixtures or nitrogen



L. CASALE.

PROCESS FOR GENERATING FROM AIR AND HYDROGENEITHER NITROGEN AND'HYDROGEN MIXTURES 0R NITROGEN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. 1920.

Patented July 12, 1921.

7 Z 3140041420; 85% elf/tome UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LUIGI CASALE, or TERNI, ITALY.

PROCESS FOR GENERATING FROM AIR AND HYDROGEN EITHER NITROGEN AND HYDROGEN MIXTURES OR NITROGEN.

Application filed July 7,

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that LUIGI CAsALE, subject of the Kingdom of Italy, residing at Terni, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Generating from Air and Hydrogen Either Nitrogen and Hydrogen Mixtures or Nitrogen, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an industrial process for generating either nitrogen and hydrogen mixtures or nitrogen free from ox gen. y

The 0 ect of this process is to prepare either nitrogen and hydrogen mixtures or nitrogen free from oxygen, said mixtures and said nitrogen being designed for use in the production of industrial chemical products, as ammonia (N11 nitrid of silicon and similars.

To this efiect the process includes the burning of air in an atmosphere of hydrogen.

The device designed to perform the 'process essentially comprehends a combustion space,.the atmosphere of which is fed by a current of hydrogen proceeding from a suitable reservoir,- while the atmospheric air flows from a nozzle disposed in said space and is furnished by apipe having a regulating valve or cock.

The air combustion is continually effected in the mentioned space in an atmosphere of hydrogen and the products of combustion, which can be either water, hydrogen and nitrogen or water and pure nitrogen, are brought through a cooler or water condenser from which cooler shall flow off both the nitrogen and the quantity of hydrogen not combined in the aforesaid combustion.

In the annexed drawing is represented an example, in a diagrammatical form, of a device designed to perform the process which forms the subject of the present invention.-

In the drawing illustrating anapparatus', 1 is a cylindrical chamber in which terminates the pipe 2 proceeding from the hydrogen reservoir, not shown in the, drawing; 3 is a valve or cook designed to regulate the hydrogen flow through the pipe 2; 4 is a pipe for supplying atmospheric air, which pipe 4 is provided with the regulating cock 5, connected at 5 to the pipe 2 and having Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 394,474.

its inner end coaxial with the pipe 2 in such a manner as to form with the same an annular space for the hydrogen and a cylindrical space concentric to it for the air, both spaces ending in a burner 2.

From the cover 6 of the cylindrical chamber 1 leads a pipe 7 which communicates with the cooler 8. Said cooler is formed by a number of pipes 9 extending through two tight cross plates 10, 10'.

Thewater of condensation collects in the spaces 11, 11 under the plate 10 and the cooling water circulates around the pipes 9 of the cylinder 8, between the nozzles 12, 13, which, for instance, can be connected to public water supply. 16 is an aspirator driven by any suitable motor, which is connected by a pine 17-18 to the cooler (chamber 11") While the outlet pipe 19 is connected through the pipe 20 to a suitable reservoir adapted to receive the resultant product either of nitrogen or of hydrogen-nitrogen mixture;

The device works in the. following manner: When the cock 3 is opened and the aspirator. 16 is started, a partial vacuum is created in the pipes 9, in the pipe 7 and in the cylindrical chamber 1, facilitating the flow of a current of hydrogen through the whole system in which the air is replaced by hydrogen.

By altering the opening of the cock 5, the quantity of air in respect to the hydrogen can be regulated and varied proportions in nitrogen-hydrogen mixtures can be obtained, or, if desired, pure nitrogen can be obtained when the introduced quantity of air is such that the oxygen contained by it shall be sufficient to combine with the existing hydrogen.

'In order to start the combustion a suitable sparking device may obviously be placed in juxtaposition to the Burner 2 in such a manner as to excite a spark designed to initiate the process of air combustion. The process afterward proceeds automatically in a continuous manner. Y

The residues .of combustion, consisting either of pure nitrogen or mixtures in any predetermined proportions of nitrogen and hydrogen, are drawn from the combustion chamber through the cooler by means of the aspirator 16 and the water condensed in the cooler flows into the reservoir or collecting tank 23 through' the pipes 22.

The apparatus illustrated may be employed but is merely illustrative of means for the process and is susceptible to all the modifications advised by experience, retaining as abasis the principle of burning the air oxygen in a hydrogen atmosphere.

It can be, for instance, in some cases convenient to cause the hydrogen and the air to flow in the combustion chamber through separated pipes, suitable flow regulators or cocks being obvious in said pipes. It is obvious that air is fed to the combustion chamber 1 at about normal atmospheric pressure.

Itis understood that combustion is started in the hydrogenatmosphere as soon as the combustion chamber is filled with'hydrogen and atmospheric air is admitted to the combustionchamber so that the in-rushing current of air will be fed into an atmosphere of hydrogen and that a supply of hydrogen in proportion to the volume of alr,

place, as distinguished from a mixture of hydrogen and air formed before combustion takes place. The union of the hydrogen with the oxygen of the air takes place without a previous mixing of the hydrogen and What I claim is: v

1.A process of producing nitrogen including the burning of atmospheric air in an atmosphere of hydrogen and condensing water from the resultant product.

2. A process of producing nitrogen including the following steps: Creating an atmosphere of hydrogen, burning atmospheric air. in said hydrogen, condensing water vapor from the products of combustion and conserving the nitrogen produced.

3. A process of producing nitrogen including the burning of atmospheric air in anatmosphere of hydrogen and separating the water vapor from the nitrogen. is

4. A process of producing nitrogen including as steps the creation of a hydrogen atmosphere, conducting atmospheric air thereinto, burning the oxygen of said air in said hydrogen, condensing water vapors resulting therefrom and conserving the nitrogen product.

foregoing specification and the 5. A process of producing nitrogen including as steps the scavenging of a combustion chamber by means of hydrogen, filling said chamber with hydrogen, introducing atmospheric air into said hydrogen and burning the oxygen of said air in the hydrogen, separating the water therefrom and conserving the nitrogen product.-

6. Steps in the process of producing nitrogen including the simultaneous introduction of hydrogen and atmospheric air into a hydrogen atmosphere and burning the oxygen of said air, withdrawing and cooling the products of combustion and separating water therefrom.

7. Steps in the process of producing nitrogen comprising the. establishment of a hydrogen atmosphere in a combustion chamber, feeding to said chamber a continuous supply of hydrogen .and a continuous supply of atmospheric air, burning the oxygen of said air in said hydrogen atmosphere removing the water produced by the com ustion and conserving the remaining nitrogen product.

8. A process of producing nitrogen including, first, creating a partial vacuum in a combustion chamber, next introducing a volume of hydrogen to fillsaid combustion chamber, next creating a spark therein, next introducing-a supply of ydrogen and atmospheric air to create and feed a flame in said combustion chamber, next withdrawing and condensing the products of combustion drawing ofi the products of combustion from the top of said combustion chamber, condensing the water vapor therefrom and conservingthe nitrogen product.

10. continuous suction rocess of producing nitrogen including t e burning of atmospheric air in an atmosphere of hydrogen, then separating the water vapor from the nitrogen product. i

11. A process of producing a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen including the burning of atmospheric air in an atmosphere of hydrogen and condensing water vapor from the resultant product.

12. A process of producing a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen including the following steps: creating an atmosphere of reland separating the water from the nitrogen atively pure hydrogen, burning atmospheric air in said hydro en, condenslng water vapor from the pro ucts of combustion and nitrogen product.

15. A process of producing a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen including as steps the creation of a partial vacuum in a combustion chamber, filling said chamber with hydrogen, introducing atmospheric air into said combustion chamber and burning oxygen of said air in the hydrogen, drawing off the products of combustlon, separating the water therefrom and conserving the hydrogen and nitrogen product.

16. Steps in the process of producing a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen including the simultaneousintroduction of hydrogen and atmospheric air atnormal atmospheric temperature into a hydrogen atmosphere and burning oxygen of said air, withdrawing and cooling the products of combustion and separating water therefrom.

17. Steps in the process of producing a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen comprising the establishment of a hydrogen atmosphere in a combustion chamber, feeding to said chamber a continuous supply of hydrogen and a' continuous supply of atmospheric air both at atmospheric temperature, burning oxygen of said air in said hydrogen atmosphere, condensing the products of combustion, drawi off water therefrom and conserving the hydrogen and nitrogen product. j V

18. A process of producing a mlxture of hydrogen .and nitrogen, including, first,

creating a partial vacuum in a combustion chamber, next drawing in a volume of hydrogen to fill said combust on chamber, next creating a spark therein, next introducing a continuous supply of'hydrogen and atmospheric air to create and feed a flame in said combustion chamber, next withdrawing and condensing the products of combustion.

and separating the water from the hydrogen and nitrogen product.

19. A continuous suction process of pr ducing nitrogen mixed with hydrogen inclnding,,first, substantially exhausting air from the system employed, next introducing a hydrogen atmosphere into a combustion chamber, creating a spark therein, next introducing a continuous supply of air and an excess of hydrogen to said combustion chamber, burning oxygen of said air in the hydrogen atmosphere, drawing off the products of combustion from the top of said combustion chamber, condensing the water vapor therefrom and conserving the resultant product,

20. A continuous suction process of producing a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen including the introduction of atmospheric air and hydrogen at substantially atmospheric temperature and pressure to a combustion chamber and the burning of said atmospheric air in an atmosphere of hydrogen, then drawing oil and condensing water vapor from the resultant product.

'21. A continuous suction process of eliminating oxygen from atmospheric air comprising the creation of a partial vacuum in a combustion chamber, next filling said combustion chamber with hydrogen, drawing in a continuous supply of atmospheric air to the said combustion chamber with hydrogen to maintain a hydrogen atmosphere in,wh1ch the oxygen of the air is burned While drawing off and cooling the products of combustion.

22. A continuous suction process'of eliminating oxygen from atmospheric air and mixing the residue with hydrogen, comprising the creation of a partial vacuumln acombustion chamber. next filling said combustion chamber with hydrogen, drawing in a continuous supply of atmospher c air to the said combustion chamber w1t h a greater volume of hydrogen to malntam a hydrogen atmosphere in which the oxygen of the air is burned while drawing off an cooling the products of combustion.

23. Steps in a process'which include the creation of a partial vacuum in a combustion chamber, creating a hydrogen atmosphere therein, the introduction of atmospherlc air to and burning the oxygen of said air in said combustion chamber while supplying a continuous volume of 'air and hydrogen to th combustion chamber and drawing off and cooling the resultant product. 4

24:. Steps in a continuous suction process of producing mixtures of hydrogen and nitrogen which include the preliminary evacuation of air from a combustion chamber,'the creation of a hydrogen atmosphere therein, the drawing in of a continuous supply or air-and a greater volume of hydrogen to said combustion chamber, the air hydrogen being .of substantially normal atmospheric temperature, and the burning of the oxygen of said air simultaneously with its introduction into said combustion chamber.

25. A process including as a step the burning of atmospheric air in an atmosphere of hydrogen andwherein combustion of the air is started the instant air is admitted to the and r hydrogen atmosphere and the continuous. supply. of air and hydrogen to sustaln combustion of sai phere. n

27. A process wherein atmospheric air is air in a" hydrogen atmosburned in a hydro en atmosphere apdthe nitrogen product 0 said process conserved;

In testlmony whereof I afiix my signature. Q

- LUIGI CASALE. 

